Temporary art installation coming to Balboa Park 

World Design Capital 2024 has selected internationally recognized visual artist, Daniel Ruanova from Tijuana and full-service architecture and design agency Heleo, to create a temporary art installation titled “EXCHANGE Pavilion” that will come to life in the Plaza de Panama at Balboa Park and the Palacio Municipal de Tijuana. “EXCHANGE Pavilion” invites visitors to immerse themselves in its physical and conceptual presence, contribute to its public memory and coexist with others who arrived along the way. “EXCHANGE Pavilion” will provoke dialogue, creativity, human connection, and the exchange of our collective experiences. A representation of the significance of WDC 2024 to the region, this installation will serve as a bridge, connecting people from various backgrounds, inspiring conversations, and fostering a sense of unity.  

Government 

San Diego City Council approves citywide Project Labor Agreement 

The San Diego City Council unanimously approved a citywide Project Labor Agreement (PLA), which will govern capital improvement projects and other projects beginning July 1, 2024 and will last until June 30, 2031. The new Project Labor Agreement will govern applicable city construction projects by requiring that “a significant portion of journeypersons and apprentices have graduated from an approved apprenticeship program,” that “all non-union contractors pay benefit contributions for all core employees and any other persons employed other than through the referral process,” “establishes employment goals focused on Local Workers and Targeted Workers,” and more. 

CLERB responds to Sheriff’s rejection of staff body scans 

San Diego County’s Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board will publicly discuss the County Sheriff’s latest rejection to body-scan all sheriff’s staff entering County jails at its Feb. 13 meeting. 

The review board known as CLERB has strongly recommended body-scans to help prevent drug deaths and overdoses in County jails. The Sheriff’s department has twice rejected those recommendations, most recently in December 2023. Sheriff’s officials said they have reduced drugs getting into jails to “almost zero” through increased actions. Those include searches, investigations, intelligence and drug-detecting dogs. 

CLERB officials say they were grateful for those actions and a 35% reduction in the number of in-custody deaths from 2022 to 2023. However, they said there were still 146 suspected overdoses in County detention facilities in 2023 and “our goal must be zero overdoses.” 

CLERB meets publicly once a month in room 302 of the San Diego County Administration Center, located at 1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego, 92101. The Feb. 13 meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. 

Measure introduced to help potential homebuyers 

Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) has introduced AB 1333 to prohibit the bulk sale of two or more parcels of single-family homes to defined institutional investors, granting families and individuals the same opportunity to purchase homes which would otherwise be sold directly to institutional investors. AB 1333 passed the Assembly Floor with bipartisan support and will be taken up by the State Senate later this year. 

Hillcrest DMV redevelopment bill passes Assembly 

A bill introduced by Assemblymember Ward to direct the Department of Motor Vehicles to redevelop its property in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego with additional affordable housing has passed in the Assembly with bipartisan support. AB 1635 requires state agencies to work with a local public housing agency to advance a plan with at least 20% of the units as affordable housing before July 2026.  

A 2007 bill introduced by former State Senator Christine Kehoe authorized the Department of General Services to lease or exchange three parcels of property owned by the DMV for up to 45 years, including the Hillcrest location. However, since SB 754 was enacted, no agreements have been executed and the property remains a deteriorating two-story building constructed in the early 1960s, while the surrounding Hillcrest neighborhood continues to be revitalized around it. Despite this authorization, attempts by the DMV in 2017 to replace the site with a DMV-only facility and fencing met fierce community opposition. 

AB 1635 will facilitate and streamline redevelopment of this location into affordable housing, a replacement DMV field office, and community benefit mixed-used project that will complement the City of San Diego’s Community Plan for the area with additional input from local groups. The bill now heads to the State Senate for consideration.  

City of San Diego offers emergency grants for storm-impacted small businesses and nonprofits 

In an effort to support local businesses impacted by the recent record storm, the City of San Diego will launch an emergency response grant to provide funds for up to 100 small businesses and nonprofits. The Business Emergency Response & Resilience Grant will make financial assistance available with up to $2,500 per business and up to $5,000 for businesses and nonprofits in the federally designated Promise Zone and Low-Moderate Income Census tract areas. 

The application period will open in mid-February. The city is encouraging business owners to track any expenses related to storm recovery. 

Eligible expenses for the grant funds include supplies and labor for storm cleanup efforts; repairs and equipment replacement not covered by insurance; employee wages; and insurance deductibles. The current budget for this program is $370,000 through the City’s Small Business Enhancement Program. 

For more information, visit SanDiego.gov/storm. 

Nonprofits 

Open call for youth artists 

ArtReach is seeking youth artists (aged 5-18) to submit a mini-masterpiece for an upcoming Youth Art Show. Each mini masterpiece created for this open call should be exactly 6 inches wide by 6 inches tall, following the prompt, “Where do your dreams take you?” 

Artwork must be submitted to ArtReach (2399 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101) by Friday, April 5th, 2024. Final art pieces will be shared online, and the community will vote on select prizes, including the most creative use of color, best composition, crowd favorite, and more! Each mini-masterpiece will be exhibited and sold at Mission Fed ArtWalk in Little Italy April 27th-28th, with 100% of proceeds contributing to ArtReach’s mission to ignite youth through visual arts expression and community connection. 

Father Joe’s served 13k people in 2023 

Father Joe’s Villages, San Diego’s largest homeless services provider, served nearly 13,000 people in need during the 2023 calendar year, including 3,897 people experiencing homelessness in December alone. 

The latest “Compassion in Action: Our Neighbors by the Numbers” report includes both December data and annual totals for the year. Per the numbers, Father Joe’s Villages offered 366,805 nights of shelter beds to people in need in San Diego and helped almost 900 people experiencing homelessness exit to permanent or temporary housing. 

Additionally, Father Joe’s Villages’ medical staff also provided care to 3,469 unique neighbors in 2023, with 1,791 dental appointments, 1,594 psychiatric appointments, and 2,180 encounters with the Street Health outreach team. 

Volunteers needed to advocate for youth in foster care 

This year, an estimated 3,000 children will spend time in foster care in San Diego County after experiencing abuse or neglect. They are among the most vulnerable members of our community. Once they enter the dependency system, their world suddenly includes court hearings, social workers, attorneys, and often new homes and schools. They need someone to step up and speak up for them during what can be a scary and challenging time. Voices for Children, which serves both San Diego and Riverside Counties, is issuing a call for these special volunteers who often become the most consistent adult in the life of a child in foster care. 

CASA volunteers are everyday community members – trained and supported by Voices for Children – who advocate for children in the child welfare system. They form a relationship with the children and become acquainted with everyone involved in their lives, such as their parents, family, teachers, and therapists, so that they can make informed recommendations to the court. Learn more at speakupnow.org. 

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, SDSU develop new way to study snakes 

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and San Diego State University (SDSU) are joining forces to usher in a new way of studying snakes. In a collaboration between San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and Rulon Clark, professor of biology at SDSU, biologists are tagging wild rattlesnakes with external transmitters and accelerometers.  

Previously, telemetry devices on snakes had to be surgically implanted—severely limiting this area of study. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and SDSU are among the first to use acceleration technology to study snakes. 

The research program focuses on red-diamond rattlesnakes in the biodiversity reserve at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Rattlesnake movement and behavior have historically been difficult to study, and up until now, it hasn’t been possible to know what wild snakes are doing at all times. Rattlesnakes spend a majority of their time sitting still to evade predators or to ambush prey, and direct human observation interferes with their natural behaviors.  

Illumina and the San Diego Zoo are sequencing koala genomes to investigate disease 

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and DNA-sequencing giant Illumina are examining the genetic information of nearly 100 koalas spanning 30 years to get a better understanding of koala retrovirus, or KoRV. Scientists suspect through growing evidence that certain variants of koala retrovirus — all koalas carry some form of it — are associated with common diseases and health issues they have, such as leukemia, lymphoma and deadly fungal infections. 

Education 

Nominate a classroom hero 

San Diego County Credit Union® (SDCCU®), one of San Diego’s largest locally-owned financial institutions, is continuing to proudly honor San Diego County teachers through SDCCU Classroom Heroes, launched in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education. 

SDCCU and the San Diego County Office of Education recognize three local “Classroom Heroes” educators every quarter. Winning teachers will receive a $250 Visa gift card and be featured on SDCCU’s social media platforms. 

Teachers, students, parents and the community are encouraged to nominate a deserving teacher by visiting sdccu.com/classroomheroes. 

Community colleges’ minimum wage over $30 per hour 

With the cost of living continuing to rise in one of America’s most expensive cities, the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) has boosted the minimum wage for all permanent employees to $30.58 per hour ― an amount that is nearly twice the state’s minimum wage. 

The unprecedented increase, which became effective January 1 and applies to approximately 250 employees who previously earned less than the new amount, ensures that all SDCCD employees are paid a living wage as defined by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator. In addition, minimum wages for temporary employees have been increased to $22.31 per hour. 

According to MIT, two working adults raising two children in the San Diego metropolitan area need to make $30.58 per hour to support themselves and their family. A single adult with no children must earn $22.31 to support themselves. 

SDCCD chancellor Gregory Smith begins new role with clear focus on equity and opportunity 

After serving as acting chancellor since March, Gregory Smith’s role as permanent chancellor of the San Diego Community College District begins today. Smith is the seventh chancellor to lead the district in its 50-year history. 

Chancellor Smith’s career path has been guided by an unshakeable belief in equity. He credits his sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Brown, a Black woman who encouraged him to see the world through multiple perspectives, with sparking his interest in equity. “I just want you to understand that not everyone experiences the world the way you do,” Smith recalls her telling him near the end of the school year.

Host families for foreign exchange students needed 

ASSE International Student Exchange Programs (ASSE), a Non-Profit, Public Benefit Organization, is inviting local families to discover the many rewards of hosting a foreign exchange student. ASSE students come from more than 50 countries worldwide: France, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Ukraine, Japan, Australia, to name a few. They are between the ages of 15 and 18 years, and they are enthusiastic and excited to experience American culture, family life, school, sports. etc. They also love to share their own culture and language with their host families, who welcome the students into their home, not as a guest, but as a family member, giving everyone involved a rich cultural experience. Host families may be single parents, couples and single persons. 

The exchange students have pocket money for personal expenses and full health, accident and liability insurance. ASSE students are carefully selected based upon academics and personality, and host families choose their student from a wide variety of backgrounds, countries and personal interests. 

Those interested in hosting an exchange student or becoming an exchange student abroad, should call Elena at 1-800-733-2773, visit www.asse.com or send an email to [email protected] to request more information or start the application process. 

County Bar kicks of leadership academy 

The San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA) launches its third annual Leadership Academy. Fifteen attorneys from a variety of practices and organizations are participating in this year’s cohort of Scholars.  The Leadership Academy, designed exclusively for attorneys, is the first and only of its kind locally, and provides a unique platform for lawyers in the San Diego community to learn skills critical to being effective leaders not only in the legal profession but also in the community at large.
Scholars meet for a total of eight full-day training sessions over the course of six months, culminating in a capstone project followed by a graduation ceremony at the end of June. Faculty includes local and state elected officials, judges, past SDCBA presidents, law firm founders, and more.
The two graduated cohorts from prior years continue to advance the goals of the Leadership Academy, with one Scholar having achieved her long-term ambition to serve on a local non-profit’s Board of Directors. 

Business 

North Park resident named 40 under 40 in aviation business 

Samuel Golden, a North Park resident and San Diego’s King Schools’ Content & Marketing Manager, was selected from more than 600 applicants for the prestigious National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) 2023 40 Under 40 award. Since 2018, NBAA has been annually recognizing talented young people who are driving meaningful change and big results across all segments of business aviation. 

Golden manages the King Schools digital advertising and social media programs. Since he took over these functions in 2019, King Schools has had a dramatic increase in social media engagement along with an increased market share particularly for private pilot ground school and test prep courses. 

Tacaliente adds Tostilocos to the menu 

Tacaliente, a family-owned taco shop in Hillcrest off University Ave., is adding two versions of the classic Mexican street dish, Tostilocos, to the menu. Tacaliente will feature a classic option with a bed of Tostitos or Doritos style chips topped with jicama, cucumber, lime and chamoi. The other version is Nacho-inspired featuring the same choice of chips topped with cheese, beans and carne. 

PB&J Sour at Original 40 

The Original 40 Brewing Company released PB&J Sour on draft at its North Park brew pub. Founder Steve Billings made the announcement. 

 The 5% alcohol-by-volume (ABV) beer pays homage to the favorite childhood sandwich, and it’s made with real grape juice, blackberries, raw peanuts, and vanilla – all balanced with a moderate tartness. This is a limited release. 

Express Blinds meets unique needs 

Express Blinds, Draperies and Shutters and Drapery Tradition, two distinguished entities with a combined legacy of over 40 years of service in San Diego’s window treatment industry, are proud to continue their unwavering commitment to the local community. Express Blinds, owned by Bob Sole, and Drapery Tradition, owned by Lizie Delgado, share a showroom located at 7424 Jackson Dr. in the picturesque San Carlos neighborhood, offering an extensive range of Blind, Shade, and Drapery solutions to clients throughout San Diego. 

Both Express Blinds and Drapery Tradition have carved their own niches in the industry, each renowned for their expertise and dedication to excellence. Express Blinds, under the guidance of Bob Sole, has become synonymous with top-notch window treatments, catering to the unique needs and preferences of homeowners and businesses alike. Drapery Tradition, led by Lizie Delgado, is celebrated for its mastery of drapery design and craftsmanship, providing an array of elegant drapery solutions. 

One of the newest additions to the team, Jessica Acklin, joins the ranks as the “star” designer/consultant. With her keen eye for design and an innate ability to transform spaces, Jessica will be instrumental in delivering personalized design solutions that exceed expectations. For design consultations and inquiries, Jessica can be reached at 619-461-2101.